Boston Celtics: 3 players that will give the Warriors trouble in NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics are set to face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals this Thursday night. Although the Warriors are favored in virtually every betting market, the C’s have a real shot to capture their first championship since 2008.
Golden State’s core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have won three titles already throughought their current dynasty run. Even after losing superstar Kevin Durant, Golden State found a way to re-tool on the fly, developing the talents of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and even Kevon Looney.
They aren’t the same team as the Durant-Warriors, but they have no true weaknesses and have more depth than the Celtics. Curry and company have the most Finals experience of any team in the league, while not one player on the entire C’s roster has ever been this close to a championship.
With all that being said, Boston has the potential to cause some serious problems in the series. Their overall length and multiple ball-handlers can show Golden State something they haven’t faced so far in the playoffs, as these two teams are clearly the best in the association.
Let’s look at 3 specific players that will give the Warriors trouble in the NBA Finals:
Boston Celtics player No. 1) Jayson Tatum
Fresh off winning the inaugural Larry Bird award in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum is the best player on a championship-level team. Not many players in the history of the league can say that, as Tatum begins to assert himself as one of the best wings on both ends of the floor.
In terms of defensive matchups, Boston will likely start out big again with Al Horford and Robert Williams playing in the frontcourt. Draymond Green will probably start on Horford, with Looney manning Williams under the basket.
With those defensive matchups, Tatum would either draw Andrew Wiggins or Klay Thompson, with the other covering Jaylen Brown. If he sees one-on-one coverage against Wiggins, he can get into his bag and score from any level, as he’s one of the best difficult shotmakers in the league.
If Golden State decides to throw multiple bodies at him, as the Heat did in both Game 6 and Game 7, it will likely be Green helping off of Horford at the perimeter. Tatum’s improved playmaking will generate tons of open shots for big Al this series, and he’s performed well consistently throughout this playoff run.
Alternatively, Boston can go to a five-out lineup with Grant Williams, forcing the Warriors to guard on the perimeter, freeing up space in the paint.
Ultimately, Tatum will always be a mismatch.
Andrew Wiggins’ defense on Luka Doncic was overrated by mainstream media, as the young superstar still shot 51 percent when he was guarded by him. Obviously, Luka and Tatum are vastly different players, but the narrative that Wiggins can stop any superstar wing should be eradicated after this series.